But Liverpool have been vastly improved in recent weeks, with a ten-match unbeaten run moving them to within touching distance of the top four, and Allen reckons they are now at the top of their game.

“At the start of the year we talked about how losing Suarez was going to have an affect but now we have overcome that,” the midfielder Allen said.

“It took us a little bit of time to overcome that because the injury problems we had were not ideal.

“We are certainly back up to that level and if anything with the different system we play this season we might even have taken a step forward.

“Sometimes (criticism) gets taken out of hand but I don’t think it was unfair. There was no hiding places and we were not delivering as players.

“There was no excuse from us. We knew there might be a difficult patch early in the season and that probably went on longer than we hoped and expected.

“At the same time we always knew we would come through it and I think that was the biggest sign we would be where we are at this stage.”

As well as edging closer to a Champions League qualification spot, Liverpool are through to the FA Cup quarter-finals and travel to Besiktas on Thursday looking to secure safe progress to the Europa League last-16.